Who's Who in China (3rd edition)/Nieh Hsieh-fan

General Nieh Hsien-fan

善黨藩字維城

General Nieh Hsien-fan was born at He-fei Hsien, Anhui province, in 1880. He is the second son of the late General Nieh Shih-cheng, Military Commander-in-Chief of Chihli and Director-General of Huai Chun and other Imperial government troops, who died in the Sino-Japanese War. On account of his father's distinguished service, the Imperial Ching government awarded General Nieh Hsien-fan the rank of Prefect. Later he was promoted to the rank of Taotai. General Nieh received military education at the Chun-Wu Academy, Japan, in the same class with the late General Tsai Ao, the hero of the Yunnan Uprising against Yuan Shih-kai. After his return from Japan, General Nieh served under the Ching regime as Co-Director of Chihli Ying-Wu-Chu (Provost-guard); Director of the Staff Officers' Department and also of the Ammunition and Commissary Department of the Headquarters of the Metropolitan Defence Troops; Director of the Shantung Ying Wu Chu; Commander-in-Chief of Shantung Patrol Forces; Taotai at several circuits in Shantung; Judicial Commissioner of Shantung; Salt Commissioner of Shantung; Brigade-General at Teng Chow, Shantung. In June 1912 the Republican government appointed General Nieh Acting Brigade-General of the Tengchow area of Shantung which position he held until August 1913 when this post was changed to Defence Commissioner of the Chefoo Area and he was appointed to this new office. Subsequently General Nieh was made a Lieutenant General. In December 1919 he was appointed Civil Governor of Anhui. In December 1920 he was conferred the First Class Tashou Chiaho. In August 1921 he was relieved of the Civil Governorship. In May 1922 General Nieh was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Metropolitan Gendarmerie which position he is still holding. In June 1922 he was given two concurrent positions, namely, Directorship of the Bureau of Government Properties in the Metropolitan Area and Officer in Charge of the Amunnitions for the Body-Guards of the Ching family. In October 1922 General Nieh was made a Chiangchun with special title "Hsien Wei”. In November 1922, the First Class Wenhu Decoration was awarded him and in February 1923 he was given the brevet rank of Full General. In November 1923 he was made a Full General.